080814jackmerrow
galimatiasArguria GA began trolling aspiringArchon2 AA at 23:59 -- 12:00 GA: At the silent door of Merrow's room, someone is heard stopping on the other side of the door. "Good night, is there someone there?" That sounded playfully happy. 12:02 AA: Merrow's voice comes out melancholy, and not Princely at all. "Are you asking me?" 12:02 GA: "Kind of? I mean i know you're there. But i don't mean to just barge in, what if you're changing clothes?" 12:03 AA: "Well I'm not changing clothes. I have nowhere to be seen in them anyway." 12:03 AA: "I think I know this voice--Heston? Is that you?" 12:04 AA: "Glad to see your mother's declaration did not apply to those who were not involved in the operation. I feel bad enough about getting the others in trouble, without getting innocents in trouble as well." 12:07 GA: "Well, You're right." Some shuffling was heard, Someone was looking for something on a pocket. "It WOULD be bad to get innocents in this." He found it, a swipe was heard. "But You're not an innocet. And i'm not something you would describe as Jack." The door opened, revealing him on a military uniform. "But the Boogeyman." 12:07 AA: "I never claimed to be an innocent in this matter, Heston." 12:08 AA: Merrow is laying on his back on his couch. He's surprised when Jack enters the room, and stands up. 12:08 GA: "I know, whoever, things HAVE to be said for the record you know? There are rules to this." He stepped in, door closing behind him. 12:08 AA: "What's going on? Why are you here?" 12:10 GA: "I'm here to solve an issue. No, to answer a question. Care to guess wich one?" 12:12 AA: "If it's about the packaging of rolled meat tube buns and the rolled meat tubes themselves, we do not know the answer." 12:12 AA: "It is a mystery to science." 12:12 GA: "Pressure based system on a single unit machine, real bummer to be honest. But no, try again." 12:13 AA: "I'm sure I have no idea. You'll have to tell me what question you're wanting answered." 12:14 GA: "All right then, Let's go with an easy one to start, why is EVERYONE on lockdown?" 12:15 AA: "Has your mother not told you? 12:15 AA: "We assumed you were here on a request from her." 12:16 GA: "Assume that she didn't. Please. Why. IS. EVERYONE. on lock down." 12:17 AA: "The short version is, we have breached the security of the base." 12:17 GA: "How." 12:17 AA: "Communication with an alien entity from the Other Side." 12:17 GA: "Why" 12:17 AA: "Why?" 12:18 GA: "Yes, why? What DOES an alien have to do with us?" 12:19 AA: "She is an eventual co-player of ours in this game. An Oracle, to my understanding. And the mother of one of our players. She was also aiding Acenia in the understanding of her heritage, and warning us of dangers that were facing us--as well as arranging for the resolution of a danger being presented to another player's parent on the Other Side, who will also be an eventual co-player." 12:20 GA: "And said Oracle, did she perhaps asked for a favor? Gave you some kind of task?" 12:21 AA: "Yes. She asked for a number of items which the insurgent forces within this base had collected to be used in their coup." 12:21 AA: "They were necessary to resolving the danger facing the eventual co-player that I mentioned." 12:22 GA: "Well, THAT explains one stupid decision, Was that the ONLY task?" 12:22 AA: Merrow tries to think. "It's been a busy couple of days, I'm trying to think..." his face dawns in sudden realization, and he blushes. 12:23 AA: "There was actually one more. But it was a personal matter, and would not affect anyone but Acenia and myself." 12:24 GA: "Interesting. Personal matters aside, Did she gave you anything in exchange for those task?" 12:25 AA: "Yes. The stims which were used to, hopefully, cure Commander Aggaro of the madness of the highbloods, a handful of books, and a number of items of personal hygeine for the members of our team who share blood with Libby and Scarlet." 12:26 GA: "Madness of the highbloods, any ideas of what that would imply? Curing it, i mean." 12:26 AA: "The primary motivator in the exchange however was to remove the items from the control of the insurgents, and to assist in the survival of the player on the other side." 12:27 AA: "You would be better off asking Libby herself, or perhaps Lily. Libby told us that the Balish she knew, on the Other Side, was a kind and honorable soul, who fought his darker instincts at every turn. And that the treatment she had given us calmed him in times of rage or weakness." 12:28 GA: "Libby, that would be the name of your contact on the other side?" 12:28 AA: "One of them, yes. The Oracle with whom we made this deal." 12:28 GA: "Did you ever ask about what would it do? The serum i mean?" 12:29 AA: "Time was of the essence and we didn't have time for full explanations. The Commander was intending to force someone into a Kismesitude against her will, and was prepared to begin hunting down and harming players. 12:30 GA: "And you didn't think of warning the rest of the staff... because?" 12:30 AA: "Because if the insurgents were revealed publicly, they would move forward their timetables and begin their purge of halfbloods and enslavement of the humans." 12:31 AA: "It is part of why I did not reveal to my team even once we performed the operation that it was Commander Aggaro at the center of things." 12:31 GA: "Yet he was the target all along." 12:32 AA: "No. Stopping his plans was the target all along." 12:33 GA: "God damnit." 12:33 AA: "What?" 12:33 GA: He slumped against the door, letting himself fall sitting into the floor. 12:34 GA: "Why didn't you think of being smarter about this?" 12:34 AA: "I would be thrilled to hear your suggestions, Heston." 12:34 GA: "Why try to half-ass it with so many unnecesary lies and hurried tasks!" 12:34 GA: He smashed the wall with his fist. 12:34 AA: "Which lies were unnecessary?" 12:35 GA: "WHAT do you think that would have happened if you would have told my mother about this?" 12:35 AA: "I think she would have been offended at the fact that I was making accusations without proof on the word of an alien she had never spoken to." 12:36 GA: "And would she be WRONG?" 12:36 AA: "No. It would be the correct thing for a person in her position to do. However, the results of her making the right choice could have caused irreparable harm." 12:37 AA: "You may notice I have not attempted to get my sentence commuted here, Heston. That I never argued with my mother when she decreed that I would suffer my punishment with the rest of those under lockdown." 12:37 AA: "It is because I think their actions are correct in this. I knew the risks when I made my decision. And I stand by my decision." 12:38 AA: "Other," he rolls his eyes, "than trusting Mavico to come up with a reasonable way of forming a distraction." 12:38 AA: "And not thinking to take out the cameras in a less traceable way." 12:38 GA: "Really? Even when those decisions lead to someone losing years of their lives?" 12:39 AA: Merrow's voice gets very quiet, and his face moves inches from Heston's own. "Please don't ask me to cry for the man who has abused my brother for his entire life, and was moments away from forcing himself upon my matesprit, Heston." 12:40 AA: He steps away, allowing the tension to pass. 12:40 AA: "I am sympathetic to your mother's pain, as she once loved him, and those feelings linger. But Commander Aggaro was a traitor and worse." 12:41 AA: "If I had been forced to for Acenia's sake and for the sake of my people and my team, I would have killed him myself." He thinks for a moment, then sighs. "Or rather, I would have attempted to do so and no doubt been killed by him as he is doubtless a far superior combatant to myself," 12:42 GA: "Sympathy: The understanding between two beings based on a common feeling." 12:44 GA: "I am pretty sure that, for once, you are going to be using those words right once they start experimentating on Lily to get samples of the fucking venom you used to poison commander balish." 12:45 GA: "Because you WILL feel the pain that my mother is feeling, you WILL learn the hard way that there is ALWAYS a better way." 12:45 AA: "Excuse me?!" Merrow's eyes narrow, PRINCE MODE activating. "WOULD HESTON GO SO FAR?! WE WERE TOLD SHE WOULD NEVER STAND FOR THE ABUSE OF A CHILD? IS THE HORNTAKER TRULY SO EAGER TO FALL TO THE VERY DARKNESS SHE LEFT AGGARO FOR?!" His voice is furious. 12:46 GA: "No you fucking idiot. But what about the people BELOW AGGARO? What about the ones FOLLOWING HIM?" 12:46 GA: "Surely, a god DAMNED prince didn't tought that HE was alone and without any kind of help?!" 12:47 AA: "OF COURSE HE HAD HELP, HESTON. DOES THE HORNTAKER USE THAT AS JUSTIFCATION FOR TURNING HER BACK ON HER PRINCIPLES?" 12:48 GA: "No no, please don't let us be misunderstood. You seem to forget that she's human, that humans are noble by nature, even the most rotten ones, She wouldn't do it on her own."" 12:48 AA: "WE THOUGHT SHE WAS A CREATURE WORTHY OF RESPECT. CLEARLY WE WERE INCORRECT." 12:48 AA: Merrow crosses his arms and turns away from Jack. 12:49 GA: "Now THAT seems to be a recurring theme isn't it? The Prince screwing up." 12:50 AA: "IF YOU'VE COME TO RUB MY FAILURES IN MY FACE, HESTON, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHOVE IT UP YOUR NOOK. IF YOU ARE SIMPLY GOING ALONG WITH YOUR MOTHER'S PLANS IN THIS, THEN WE HAVE NO MORE RESPECT FOR YOU THAN WE DO FOR HER. GOOD DAY, HESTON." 12:51 AA: Merrow sits at his couch, staring straight forward, giving every indication that he no longer even acknowledges that Jack is present. 12:52 GA: "Again idiot, this isn't my mother. All she wants to know is what the hell was on that thing, to try and bring back what commander balish once was." 12:52 AA: "PERHAPS SHE SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE SHUTTING DOWN COMMUNICATIONS, AND CONFISCATING THE ONLY ITEM WITH WHICH WE CAN CONTACT THE BEING RESPONSIBLE." 12:53 AA: "OR BETTER YET, PERHAPS SHE SHOULD SIMPLY CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT COMMANDER BALISH *ISN'T* THE CREATURE HE ONCE WAS ANYMORE." 12:54 GA: "She's crumbling. I've seen her my whole life, never before have i seen her crumble on the inside." 12:56 AA: "WE DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU EXPECT US TO DO ABOUT THAT, HESTON. WE ARE CONFINED TO QUARTERS, AND HAVE NO ABILITY TO CONTACT LIBBY EVEN IF WE WEREN'T. SHE HAS ALREADY DECIDED THAT SHE IS GOING TO MURDER A CHILD TO GET HER ANSWERS. WE ONLY HOPE SHE DOES NOT EXPECT OUR BLESSING IN HER DECISION TO BECOME COMMANDER AGGARO." 12:57 AA: "THEY SHOULD BE QUITE HAPPY TOGETHER IF SHE MANAGES TO RESTORE HIM TO THE MONSTER HE WAS." 12:57 GA: "All right then, first let's make something clear. The one with the idea of getting a sample out of another user directly." He stood up. "Was me." 12:57 GA: He accomodated his googles. 12:59 AA: "ISN'T IT AN ODD COINCIDENCE THAT COMMANDER AGGARO'S CHILD BY HER IS THE ONE WHO GREW UP RIGHT, THEN? WE HATE TO IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITY THAT AGGARO WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE CORRECT WAY TO RAISE A CHILD." 12:59 AA: "WE THINK WE WILL ELECT TO BELIEVE THAT THE INFLUENCE OF THE HONORABLE BALISH ON THE OTHER SIDE IS THE DECIDING FACTOR HERE." 01:00 GA: "That's the goddamned spirit, then how about we make a deal then?" 01:00 AA: "WE ARE NOT SURE WE HAVE ANY WISH TO BARGAIN WITH YOU, HESTON." 01:00 AA: "BUT NAME YOUR TERMS." 01:01 GA: "I'm not sure you have any option either, but why not believe in magic here for a second?" 01:01 AA: "STATE YOUR TERMS SO WE CAN SEE THE BACK OF YOU, HESTON." 01:02 GA: "I get you ONE chance to contact your informant, you get me the reversive agent of that thing and a sample of it. And i won't reveal that Lily used another serum to another living being." 01:04 AA: "AND WHAT IS STOPPING ME FROM ASKING LIBBY TO SEND AN AGENT THAT WILL SIMPLY KILL THE COMMANDER INSTEAD, THUS ERADICATING YOUR JUSTIFICATION FOR CUTTING HER OPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE, HESTON?" 01:05 AA: "IT'S AN IRRELEVANT DISCUSSION IN EITHER CASE. LIBBY WAS ONLY CAPABLE OF FORMING A SINGLE PORTAL TO OUR SIDE. SHE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEND *ANY* AGENTS, REGARDLESS OF OUR DEMANDS OR OFFERS TO HER." 01:05 GA: Quickly, he equipped a gauntlet with elongated and sharp fingernails, made out of scales that made a beautifully eerie rainbow of troll horns. 01:06 GA: "Agents or not, Harming anyone here is a bad idea, the boogeyman comes for the bad kids." 01:06 AA: "WE SINCERELY HOPE YOU DO NOT HAVE THE GALL TO THINK YOU CAN INTIMIDATE OR THREATEN ME, HESTON." 01:07 GA: "I sincerely hope you aren't stupid enough to think that if you or any stupid agents were to touch anyone here i wouldn't chase every single one you love and use their remains to kill you. Starting with that little witch of yours." 01:11 AA: "LOVELY SHOW, HESTON. WE ARE ABOUT TO WET OURSELVES. TRULY." his voice is dripping with scorn and sarcasm, and he fakes a yawn. "NOW WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO GET OUT OF THIS LITTLE PISSIING CONTEST THAT YOU'RE STRUGGLING SO VALIANTLY TO ENGAGE IN?" 01:11 AA: "WE HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU, THERE IS NO WAY TO GET ANY PHYSICAL ITEMS FROM THE LIBBY ENTITY. NO MATTER WHAT YOU MIGHT THREATEN US WITH, WE CANNOT CHANGE THIS." 01:13 GA: "That's funny. I don't think i asked if it was possible or not, I think i said i was going to give YOU a chance, maybe you'll start not fucking up once the decisions you make have actually painfull consecuences and not just "I got scolded by mom" ones." 01:14 AA: "WELL THEN YOU'VE SAID YOUR PIECE. DISMISSED." Merrow waves him away in the most patronizing manner imaginable. 01:14 GA: "All right then, done here. Anything you wanna say to someone from the outside? I'm nothing if not a good courier after all." 01:15 AA: "TELL YOUR MOTHER THAT IF SHE WANTS SOMETHING FROM ME IN THE FUTURE SHE CAN ASK ME HERSELF." 01:16 GA: "Noted." He said opening the door. "Don't go anywhere now, maybe she wants to reply? What if i can't find you then." 01:16 AA: "YES, VERY GOOD." He gives every indication of being completely unfazed by Jack's comment. 01:17 GA: He walks out and the door closes behind him.